Preacher's wife found dead in staged suicide - who pulled the trigger?

04/25/2018 4:25 pm PDTMichelle Sigona

Crime Watch Daily has the story of a well-respected church elder who wrote sermons and counseled married couples. But his picture-perfect life would come crashing down one Sunday evening.

A gut-wrenching scene plays out during a 911 call. A young boy is the first to find his mother shot to death inside their home. Busy trying to console his son, Stephen Allwine has little information for the operator.

Stephen Allwine says he found his wife dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head inside her home in Cottage Grove, Minnesota on November 13, 2016. But as investigators dig a little more deeply, they found that this was no suicide.

If police can figure out who tried to hire a hitman to kill Amy Allwine, they will be one step closer to finding her killer. And that meant digging a little deeper into the Allwines' seemingly picture-perfect marriage.

Someone really wanted Minnesota mom Amy Allwine dead, even trying to hire a hitman on the "dark web" to do the job. Weeks after her murder, police were about to find something inside her home that would reveal the killer's true identity.

Before being led away in handcuffs, the preacher-turned-convicted-killer promised to continue spreading his faith.

At Stephen Allwine's sentencing, Amy's sister read a statement from his 9-year-old son that said "My mom was a good mom. I will always love her and remember her." He is currently living with family members.

Stephen Allwine has until early June to decide if he'll appeal his conviction.